FEATURE
“I would be so proud of our professions, our members, and our permit holders, if we were to take a stand to say that mental health is important.”
DR. IVAN FAIR , P.ENG. Edmonton
a regular basis, just as a spider repairs tears in the strands of its web. Don’t know what to do to reach out? Try these actions: • In an email to a friend or a relative you like, provide an update about your kids or spouse, and ask for the same in return • Offer to do small favours for people • Invite people to share a meal, a walk, or a workout—on a regular basis Put actions like these on repeat in your calendar. And remember that there are other benefits to web strengthening, too. Yes, it helps keep you healthy and exposes you to new ideas and hobbies. But you may also notice that it benefits your career. DOES YOUR COMPANY HAVE A PLAN? Corporate and group training in suicide prevention is available. Courses and workshops available through the Centre for Suicide Prevention cover various topics, including applied suicide intervention skills training, suicide alertness for everyone (safeTALK), recovery and growth, and suicide prevention for children, youth, and Indigenous peoples.
Also, remember that not all doctors are well trained to deal with depression. Seek the right doctor. Your family GP may well have a great recommendation for you. Finding a knowledgeable psychologist or psychiatrist can be a huge relief, particularly for intelligent people who try to logic their way through a situation that requires something more. Depression is not your fault. It’s the result of chemical changes in your body. Preventions are never foolproof, and once you’ve started down the slippery slope of sadness, it is ridiculous (though sometimes instinctive) to go it alone. Men, it seems, are more prone than women are to hide in their caves when they’re sad. That could be connected to this fact: three out of four suicides are at the hands of men. SAFETY MAINTENANCE PLAN Act like a spider. Build yourself a safety net with many points of contact. Stay-safe procedures involve reaching out to those points of contact on DO NOT SELF-DIAGNOSE, DO NOT TREAT IT ALONE
64 | PEG SPRING 2018
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